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16,000 salvations via mobile game reported


NASHVILLE (BP) — Biblical narratives of Eve, Noah, Moses and others are unveiled in Stained Glass, a new mobile app by Lightside Games, whose products have led to at least 16,000 salvations on peacewithgod.net in partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Lightside reported.

A match-three game, Stained Glass allows players to unveil stories by winning pieces of colorful, broken glass that fit together to create Bible scenes on stained glass windows. Animated characters share narratives unveiled piecemeal through increasingly challenging levels.

The March 2015 game joins the family of Christian games by the company that debuted in 2010, offering in 2011 Journey of Moses, and in 2012 the popular Journey of Jesus: The Calling. More than 7 million people in 200 countries have played the games, according to Lightside.

Peacewithgod.net, a BGEA product offered in partnership with Jesus.net, provides answers to spiritual questions posed by Lightside players driven to the website from the game page. As of March, more than 150,000 Lightside users had logged onto the salvation website, according to BGEA.

Stained Glass is unique as the first Lightside game available as a mobile download from the App Store and Google Play; previous Lightside games are Facebook-based. Stained Glass is a free download with in-game purchase opportunities, and features Hillsong United’s hit song “Oceans.”

“We’re trying to engage people in God’s story and to reach people who otherwise might not be reached,” Lightside founder Brent Dusing said in a BGEA interview. “Stained Glass is the best product that we’ve ever made. … It doesn’t replace Scripture, of course, but we hope it helps people engage in a new way and ask questions.”

Dusing, a Harvard University economics graduate, expresses a passion for spreading the Gospel that ignited after he viewed the 2004 movie “Passion of the Christ.”

“That movie planted a dream in my heart, that if you could combine excellent entertainment with God’s truth, you could make a real difference, because it made a difference for me,” Dusing said in a video posted at Lightsidegames.com. “God gave us the mission to reach the 600 million people who play games all across the globe and to be a light in the darkness. To date through our partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we’ve seen over 16,000 people make decisions for Christ. And through those games we have countless testimonies of changed lives.”

Lightside has launched a video campaign focusing on the importance of mobile games and their potential societal impact.

“[Games] shape our character and they shape our culture. They can build us up, or they tear us down. So much of today’s entertainment is filled with darkness,” Dusing said. “Our games are different. … We believe there’s tremendous need for games where faith and fun go hand in hand. At Lightside, we’re on a mission to bring light into the darkness.”

The video campaign features children in a sarcastic presentation focusing specifically on the impact of games on youth.

“My mommy uses a sexting app. She likes to set a good example. It’s amazing,” three children say in sequence in the video. “I’m so psyched my daddy plays grand theft auto. Now I know all the bad words. Bad words are the best words.”

The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9iyOskhLgM&feature=youtu.be.]